WJPA Sports

WPIAL baseball & softball action has reached the final four with games set for Wednesday/Thursday. Fort Cherry opens our Wednesday double-header on the WJPA Sports Network when the top seed in the 2A bracket takes on #4 Riverview at Gateway. We’ll follow that with a 6A match-up at W&J’s Ross Memorial Park: #2 Canon-McMillan vs. #3 North Allegheny.  We’ll have both games for you on WJPA-AM (1450), online and we’re producing the NFHS Video for both games (subscription required under WPIAL agreements). Thursday’s softball sites and times haven’t been released though they are expected early Wednesday morning.  Watch/Listen Here 

Wednesday, May 20–Baseball Semifinals — WPIAL Baseball Brackets 
3:45 pm 2A #1 Fort Cherry vs. #4 Riverview at Gateway, WJPA-AM (1450)  Watch/Listen Here
6:45 pm 6A #2 Canon-McMillan vs. #3 North Allegheny at W&J’s Ross Memorial Park, WJPA-AM (1450)  Watch/Listen Here

Thursday, May 21–Softball Semifinals — WPIAL Softball Brackets
2A #2 Chartiers-Houston vs. #3 Bentworth
1A #2 Carmichaels #3 West Greene
1A #5 Jeff-Morgan vs. #1 Union

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Iván Herrera hit a three-run, walk-off home run in the bottom of the 10th inning — one of four homers by St. Louis — as the Cardinals rallied to beat the Pittsburgh Pirates on Tuesday night. Herrera’s 410-foot shot off of Mason Montgomery (1-1) was his first career walk-off RBI. It is the fifth walk-off win of the season for St. Louis, which improved to 7-1 in extra-inning games. JJ Wetherholt, Nolan Gorman and Alec Burleson also homered as the Cardinals improved to 5-0 this season against their Central Division rivals. George Soriano (2-0) pitched a perfect 10th inning for the win.

NEW YORK (AP) — James Harden’s struggles to defend Jalen Brunson down the stretch stuck out as a big factor in the Cleveland Cavaliers blowing a 22-point fourth-quarter lead and losing Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals in overtime. Brunson scored on several possessions in a row off the dribble with Harden guarding him. Coach Kenny Atkinson said he trusts Harden and never considered sitting the 11-time NBA All-Star on defense. Harden also struggled with the ball in his hands, shooting 5 of 16 overall and 1 of 3 from 3-point range and turning the ball over six times.